Warning to fliers before shutdown

Left unions that have called a nation-wide general strike on Wednesday against Delhi’s “anti-people economic policies” are determined to shut down Calcutta, if not the rest of the country.
The Citu-affiliated All India Airport Employees’ and Workers’ Union on Monday advised people booked on flights from the city on that day not to bother travelling to the airport. “We are appealing to passengers not to come to the airport,” said Amitabha Nandi, the CPM Lok Sabha member from Dum Dum who also heads the union.
Nandi said more than 70,000 airport employees, including permanent staff of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and contract workers of various airlines, would stay away from work. “Airlines should think twice before operating flights on that day as there will be no loaders or other ground staff at the airport.”
Only Air Traffic Control and staff involved in emergency operations will report for duty.
A senior AAI official said the Indian Air Force had been requested to help in maintaining “emergency services”, though that didn’t stop airlines from contemplating cancellation of most flights scheduled for Wednesday.
“All airlines will probably be taking a decision on cancellation of flights on Tuesday. Some private operators are planning to advance the timings of their morning flights so that the planes take off before the strike starts,” a source said.
Officials of some airlines said passengers had already begun cancelling tickets.
19/08/08 The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Aug 2008